lwitchel's NY suggestions

[lwitchel]

Someone had asked for suggestions on Indian restaurants in NYC, I thought I'd place my response on the forum so it didn't get lost, along with adding a few more suggestiosn.

Indian Food -

Nirvana on Central Park South has decent food and a great view. It isn't particularly dressy, but it is slightly pricey. It's a good place to go for visitors because the view overlooking Central Park is so marvelous. Also nearby is an Indian fusion restaurant, Bay Leaf, that is on 56th between 5/6. There are a few other Indian restaurants on that block that would be more reasonably priced than Nirvana.

Jewel of India on 44th between 5/6 is another upscale Indian restaurant with good Northern Indian food, but without the view. The $13.95 lunch buffet is rather good.

For the more adventurous (and those with more time) there are two separate areas of Indian restaurants in concentration: On the East Side in the high 20's on 3rd Avenue and downtown in the East Village on 6th Street. I've eaten at Annapurna and Kebab and Curry among others in the E. 20s, they're all good, but not worth a special trip. The East 6th restaurants are very inexpensive but also not worth a special trip, except perhaps for Rose of India, less for the mediocre Indian food and more for the stupefying kitsch value of the place. It's decorated entirely in Christmas lights, thousands and thousands, which they set blinking along with blaring a Bollywood song when anyone has a birthday. This happens at least once or twice every meal. I don't know if that's what people had in mind!

A neighborhood worth exploring for ethnic cuisine is 9th Avenue in the 40s-50s (my neighborhood!) There's decent cheap Indian there (Bengal Express, which makes very good breads), Vietnamese (Saigon Fun), Thai (Wondee Siam I and II - II is prettier, I has a marginally better kitchen) and Pam Real Thai. There's also a dirt cheap and very good Chinese noodle house, Mee. Most of these places are between 51-54th on 9th, Pam Real Thai is right off the SW corner of 49th & 9th. None of them is worth changing your plans to go to but they're all tasty.

The main TKTS booth is on 47th/Broadway and it opens at 2pm for evening shows, I think and noon for matinees. You can't miss it. Be prepared by bringing sufficient cash (no credit cards) and having 20 mins. to an hour to wait on line.

The most beautiful small museum in the city is probably the Frick on 70th & 5th, which can be visited in a bit over an hour and has a phenomenal old masters collection including three Vermeers (a big deal when there are only 60 some extant.)

Another small overlooked museum is the Morgan Library on 38th and Madison, but that may be undergoing renovations, so check. Like the Frick, it's another mansion turned museum. Frick and Morgan may have been Robber Barons, but they had great taste.

A culture bargain in the city are the offerings at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. The 2900 seat house is built so even the cheap seats are good, and standing room is sold even if the house isn't sold out at around $15. Be prepared to stand if the house is sold out, but otherwise when the lights go down, follow the other standees as they head to available seats. You can see either the New York City Opera or the New York City Ballet, both major companies, and NYCB is celebrating the Balanchine Centennial this year (which may make standing room on the weekends a bit harder to come by) For NYC residents, NYCB's "Fourth Ring Society" is one of the best bargains in the city. Pay $15 before the beginning of the season in November, get a card to purchase $30 Fourth Ring tickets for $12 - 2 per show for the entire winter and spring seasons. Best culture deal in town for cheapskates!

Across the plaza are also great companies (the Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre) but the Opera House is a barn (4500 seats) and decent seating costs a good deal more. Standing room is available for around $20, but the Met is much more strict about forcing you to stand. They rope the area off.

Enjoy your stay and go see some culture!